Just In: FCT Police foil planned major attack, neutralise bandits

…recover arms in coordinated operation

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has thwarted a planned large-scale attack on a community within the Territory, following a decisive intelligence-led operation by the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit.

The successful operation comes on the heels of recent kidnapping incidents in ACO Community, Gwagwalada, and Bwari, which prompted the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, to order intensified efforts to track down and dismantle the criminal syndicate behind the assaults.

According to a statement issued on Monday by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, credible intelligence revealed that the gang had perfected plans to launch another violent attack on or before December 1, 2025. The criminals reportedly intended to abduct residents, demand ransom, and wreak further havoc on the community.

Acting on the intelligence, operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit tracked and arrested one of the key conspirators, a wanted kidnapper and armed robbery suspect, Sani Mohammed Umar, popularly known as “Boko,” on November 30, 2025, at about 2:11 p.m. His mobile phone—believed to be the primary device used to coordinate the gang’s operations—was recovered.

Preliminary investigations linked Umar to the syndicate responsible for the earlier attacks in ACO, Dupa, and Gwagwalada, as well as a series of armed robberies across Gwagwalada, Kuje, and Kwali. He reportedly confessed that his gang members were waiting at Gada Biyu Hills in Kwali, where they had gathered to commence their next planned attack.

Later that night, at about 11:01 p.m., the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, led by the Officer-in-Charge, advanced into the forest, reached the gang’s meeting point, and laid an ambush. The heavily armed bandits opened fire on sighting the police, prompting a fierce 30-minute gun duel. Three of the criminals were neutralised, while others fled with suspected gunshot wounds.

Recovered items include:

• Three AK-47 rifles
• Three magazines
• Thirty-three rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition

A joint operation involving Police operatives and troops of the Nigerian Army’s Forward Operation Base (FOB), 176 Battalion, Kwali, has since been launched to comb the forest and block escape routes. Medical facilities within the area have been placed on alert to report anyone presenting with gunshot wounds to the nearest security agency or contact the Command via 08032003913 or 08061581938.

The Commissioner of Police, FCT, commended the gallantry and professionalism of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit and lauded residents for providing actionable intelligence. He urged the public to remain vigilant and continue to support security agencies with timely information.